Search results for: social support

Authors: Farah Al-Fityani, Aljohara Alsowail, Shatha Bindawood, Heba Balrbeah

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Locket is a popular app that lets users share spontaneous photos with a close circle of friends. The app offers a unique way to stay connected with loved ones by allowing users to see glimpses of their day through photos displayed on a widget on their home screen. This summary outlines the process of developing an app like Locket, highlighting the importance of user privacy and security. It also details the findings of a study on user engagement with the Locket app, revealing positive sentiment towards its features and concept but also identifying areas for improvement. Overall, the summary portrays Locket as a successful app that is changing the way people connect on social media.

Keywords: locket, app, machine learning, connect

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Authors: Amal Mohammed Alqahatni

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This paper is a non-empirical analysis of existing literature on digital leadership competency, data-driven organizations, and dealing with AI technology (big data). This paper will provide insights into the importance of developing the leader’s analytical skills and style to be more effective for high-quality decision-making in a data-driven organization and achieve creativity during the organization's transformation to be digitalized. Despite the enormous potential that big data has, there are not enough experts in the field. Many organizations faced an issue with leadership style, which was considered an obstacle to organizational improvement. It investigates the obstacles to leadership style in this context and the challenges leaders face in coaching and development. The leader's lack of analytical skill with AI technology, such as big data tools, was noticed, as was the lack of understanding of the value of that data, resulting in poor communication with others, especially in meetings when the decision should be made. By acknowledging the different dynamics of work competency and organizational structure and culture, organizations can make the necessary adjustments to best support their leaders. This paper reviews prior research studies and applies what is known to assist with current obstacles. This paper addresses how analytical leadership will assist in overcoming challenges in a data-driven organization's work environment.

Keywords: digital leadership, big data, leadership style, digital leadership challenge

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Authors: J. Zekri, N. Souilah, W. Abdelaziz, D. Alatou

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Our study shall focus on the ability of trees cork oak that showed vis-à-vis sensitivity to climate change, including late spring frosts. The combination of these factors resulted in damage alarmed, therefore forest ecosystems weakened trees that can affect their ability to support other abiotic and biotic stresses, For this we tested its tolerance to thermal variations and cold weather conditions by estimating some stress markers (quantification of proteins, RNA, soluble sugars) that are quantified to evaluate the cold tolerance of seedlings. Sowing of cork oak (Quercus suber L.) is grown in controlled conditions at 25° C ± 2° C in long days 16h. These seedlings are transferred at low temperatures between 5° C and -6° C for a period of 3 hours. Biochemical analyzes were performed in the various organs of the cork oak seedlings. Cool temperatures induced a significant accumulation of proline in different organs of seedlings and the optimum concentrations were observed in the roots with very high concentrations (4 times larger than those of the control). The accumulation of soluble sugars is significantly in stems and roots at 0° C. Protein concentrations are very high in leaves of both growth and high waves in rod at -4° C to -2° C. Tolerance cork oak seems to be at the thermal limit of -2°C. The concentration of these metabolites in the various organs showed the ability oak cork hardening during the winter.

Keywords: climate change, thermal change, semi-aride, biochemical markers, heat stress

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Authors: Suddhasil Siddhanta, Debasish Nandy

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Child sex ratios pattern in the Asian Population is highly masculine mainly due to birth masculinity and gender bias in child mortality. The vast and the growing literature of female deficit in world population points out the diffusion of child sex ratio pattern in many Asian as well as neighboring European countries. However, little attention has been given to understand the common factors in different demographics in explaining child sex ratio pattern. Such a scholarship is extremely important as level of gender inequity is different in different country set up. Our paper tries to explain the major structural commonalities in the child masculinity pattern in two demographic billionaires - India and China. The analysis reveals that apart from geographical diffusion of sex selection technology, patrilocal social structure, as proxied by households with more than one generation in China and proportion of population aged 65 years and above in India, can explain significant variation of missing girl child in these two countries. Even after controlling for individual capacity building factors like educational attainment, or work force participation, the measure of social stratification is coming out to be the major determinant of child sex ratio variation. Other socio economic factors that perform much well are the agency building factors of the females, like changing pattern of marriage customs which is proxied by divorce and remarriage ratio for china and percentage of female marrying at or after the age of 20 years in India and the female workforce participation. Proportion of minorities in socio-religious composition of the population and gender bias in scholastic attainment in both these counties are also found to be significant in modeling child sex ratio variations. All these significant common factors associated with child sex ratio point toward the one single most important factor: the historical evolution of patriarchy and its contemporary perpetuation in both the countries. It seems that prohibition of sex selection might not be sufficient to combat the peculiar skewness of excessive maleness in child population in both these countries. Demand sided policies is therefore utmost important to root out the gender bias in child sex ratios.

Keywords: child sex ratios, gender bias, structural factors, prosperity, patrilocality

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Authors: Christine Hough, Eddie Abbott-Halpin, Tariq Mahmood, Jessica Giles

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This paper draws together the findings from two research studies, each undertaken with cohorts of South Asian Muslim respondents located in the North of England between 2017 and 2019. The first study, entitled Faith Family and Crime (FFC), investigated the extent to which a Muslim family’s social and health well-being is affected by a family member’s involvement in the Criminal Justice System (CJS). This study captured a range of data through a detailed questionnaire and structured interviews. The data from the interview transcripts were analysed using open coding and an application of aspects of the grounded theory approach. The findings provide clear evidence that the respondents were neither well-informed nor supported throughout the processes of the CJS, from arrest to post-sentencing. These experiences gave rise to mental and physical stress, potentially unfair sentencing, and a significant breakdown in communication within the respondents’ families. They serve to highlight a particular aspect of complexity in the current needs of those South Asian Muslim families who find themselves involved in the CJS and is closely connected to family structure, culture, and faith. The second study, referred to throughout this paper as #ImamsBritain (that provides the majority of content for this paper), explores how Imams, in their role as community faith leaders, can best address the complex – and changing - needs of South Asian Muslims families, such as those that emerged in the findings from FFC. The changing socio-economic and political climates of the last thirty or so years have brought about significant changes to the lives of Muslim families, and these have created more complex levels of social, cultural, and faith-based needs for families and individuals. As a consequence, Imams now have much greater demands made of them, and so their role has undergone far-reaching changes in response to this. The #ImamsBritain respondents identified a pressing need to develop a wider range of pastoral and counseling skills, which they saw as extending far beyond the traditional role of the Imam as a religious teacher and spiritual guide. The #ImamsBritain project was conducted with a cohort of British Imams in the North of England. Data was collected firstly through a questionnaire that related to the respondents’ training and development needs and then analysed in depth using the Delphi approach. Through Delphi, the data were scrutinized in depth using interpretative content analysis. The findings from this project reflect the respondents’ individual perceptions of the kind of training and development they need to fulfill their role in 21st Century Britain. They also provide a unique framework for constructing a professional guide for Imams in Great Britain. The discussions and critical analyses in this paper draw on the discourses of professionalization and pastoral care and relevant reports and reviews on Imam training in Europe and Canada.

Keywords: criminal justice system, faith and culture, Imams, Muslim community leadership, professionalization, South Asian family structure

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Authors: Wiem Ben Khalifa, Dalila Souilem, Mahmoud Neji

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The evolutions of Social Web and Semantic Web lead us to ask ourselves about the way of supporting the personalization of learning by means of intelligent filtering of educational resources published in the digital networks. We recommend personalized courses of learning articulated around a first educational course defined upstream. Resuming the context and the stakes in the personalization, we also suggest anchoring the personalization of learning in a community of interest within a group of learners enrolled in the same training. This reflection is supported by the display of an active and semantic system of learning dedicated to the constitution of personalized to measure courses and in the due time.

Keywords: Semantic Web, semantic system, ontology, evaluation, e-learning

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Authors: Rita Phillips, Mark Burgess, Maga Berlinski

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Although the positive impact of religiosity on well-being, health, and life-coping abilities is well known, up to date research has failed to provide scientific evidence for the relationship reasons. Therefore the present study took a qualitative approach by examining how religiosity interacts in coping with emotionally distressful situations, for which wedding preparations are an example. Wedding preparations, related to the experience of ambiguous emotions, can be the reason for phases of high distress. Although being per-se religious ceremonies, they are also socially-scripted and characterized by people’s striving for personally meaningful celebrations. The negotiation of these many influences can evoke conflicts. To reveal components of religiosity which contribute to stress-resolution, eight biographic-narrative interviews with recently married spouses were conducted. Participants were from different nationalities and Catholic deep-belief communities in order to determine factors independent from national-culture and social-subgroup. The audio-tape recorded, transcribed and translated interviews were analyzed by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Opposing previous research on wedding-related conflicts but in-line with the quantitative account on the relation between stress-resilience and religiosity, the present study found participants reporting very low levels of distress and ambiguity. Although similar areas of potential conflicts were revealed, deep-belief Christians seemed to handle them in a different way. Participants freed themselves from own and others’ rigor mundane expectations by their spiritual preparation and the focus on a divine instance. This evoked a feeling of perceived closeness to God and of unconditional love, resulting in acceptance of oneself and others. Through relativizing mundane goods, participants perceived absolute freedom. Thus belief did not supplement coping strategies, previously defined in the literature, but substituted them. The paper implies that in explaining the connection between stress-resilience and religiosity, one’s perception and experience of unconditional love might outweigh other social or personal factors. However, further qualitative investigations are needed to fully explain the phenomenon.

Keywords: deep-belief, religiosity, resilience, wedding

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Authors: Catherine Chua, Kashif Raza

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Work-integrated learning (WIL) has been heightened in the last few years across countries. With a specific attention on working adults, the key objective is to integrate work experiences with academic studies so that they will be given more opportunities to advance, gather relevant skills and credentials to enable them to contribute more positively to the labour market. In Singapore, developing talent through WIL aims to develop specialist and enduring skills for the industries. Collaborating with the institutes of higher education in Singapore, the Integrated Work Study Programs (IWSP) seek to harmonize classroom learning with practical work experiences so that adult students can develop skills and knowledge that are needed in the existing and future workplaces. Local higher education institutions will also work closely with industry partners, and design courses that support these students to deepen their skills. Using Critical Discourse Analysis, this paper examines the Singapore government policies in WIL and argues that despite the various supports and interventions provided by the government, it is equally important to create a ‘space’ in the society whereby there is a greater recognition for WIL as a valuable education approach, i.e., “continuous meritocracy”. This is especially so in Singapore where academic excellence and conventional front-loaded approach to education are valued.

Keywords: work-integrated learning, adult learners, continuous meritocracy, skillsfuture singapore

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Authors: Aaron Akinloye

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This research examined the influence of jungle justice as it affects the emotional health challenges among residents in Lagos metropolitan city. Descriptive survey research design was used along with the questionnaire as research instrument. Population for the study comprised residents in Yaba and Shomolu Communities of Lagos State, Nigeria. Accidental sampling technique was used to sample 300 Residents. Self-developed questionnaire was used to obtain data on the variables under investigation. Research instrument was validated following the face, content, and construct validation of the instrument. Thereafter, the reliability coefficient yielded 0.84. It is therefore concluded and recommended that; there is a significant influence of jungle justice on trauma among residents- df (298) t= 2.33, p< 0.05; there is a significant influence of jungle justice on pressure among residents- df (298) t= 2.16, p< 0.05: there is a significant influence of jungle justice on fear among residents- df (298) t= 2.20, p< 0.05; there is a significant influence of jungle justice on depression among residents- df (298) t= 2.14, p< 0.05. Recommendations were made that; there should be deliberate effort to implement comprehensive awareness campaigns to educate the residents on the detrimental effects of jungle justice on individuals and the community members as a whole; there should be an improvement in the effectiveness and efficiency of the existing law enforcement agencies in Lagos metropolitan city; development and implementation of support systems for victims of jungle justice, which include trauma, counselling, mental health services, and rehabilitation programmes; there should be proper review and revision of the legal framework to address the issue of jungle justice effectively.

Keywords: jungle justice, emotional health, depression, fear

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Authors: K. J. Jegede, O. O. Odekunle

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The challenges facing government at all levels in the area of urban development are two folds, first is how to provide basic services for urban dwellers especially the urban poor and second, how to make cities and towns as model of good places for economic development. The key ingredients and catalysts for achieving these goals are strong and virile institutional capacity, urban infrastructure and a supportive urban policy framework. The government at all levels have been upgrading and expanding city infrastructure and services in Ibadan, the state capital to support sustainable economic development of the city, particularly in the areas of electricity, neighbourhood, solid waste management, transport, water supply, education, health facilities and markets developments to discourage street trading. This paper attempts to present Ibadan in the millennium as 'a model of a sustainable city'. A planned development strategy that had sustained the growth of the city from a war camp in the 19th century to a cosmopolitan city in the 21st century with the potential to become a megacity. The presentation examines, among others, the physical structure and population density of Ibadan city, the challenges of economic development, the development of urban infrastructure and services in Ibadan metropolitan area. The paper submitted by mapping out a strategy to achieve sustainable development of Ibadan city.

Keywords: megacity, physical structure, sustainable city, urban infrastructure

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Authors: Isaac Benning

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Using technology to expand the learning space is critical for a productive mathematical discourse. This is a case study of two teachers who developed and enacted GeoGebra-based mathematics lessons following their engagement in a two-year professional development. The didactical and semiotic affordance of GeoGebra in widening the learning space for a productive mathematical discourse was explored. The approach of thematic analysis was used for lesson artefact, lesson observation, and interview data. The results indicated that constructing tools in GeoGebra provided a didactical milieu where students used them to explore mathematical concepts with little or no support from their teacher. The prompt feedback from the GeoGebra motivated students to practice mathematical concepts repeatedly in which they privately rethink their solutions before comparing their answers with that of their colleagues. The constructing tools enhanced self-discovery, team spirit, and dialogue among students. With regards to the semiotic construct, the tools widened the physical and psychological atmosphere of the classroom by providing animations that served as virtual concrete to enhance the recording, manipulation, testing of a mathematical idea, construction, and interpretation of geometric objects. These findings advance the discussion of widening the classroom for a productive mathematical discourse within the context of the mathematics curriculum of Ghana and similar Sub-Saharan African countries.

Keywords: GeoGebra, theory of didactical situation, semiotic mediation, mathematics laboratory, mathematical discussion

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Authors: Suby Khanam, Faisal Talib, Jamshed Siddiqui

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Total Quality Management (TQM) is a managerial approach that improves the competitiveness of the industry, meanwhile Information technology (IT) was introduced with TQM for handling the technical issues which is supported by quality experts for fulfilling the customers’ requirement. Present paper aims to utilise AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) methodology to priorities and rank the hierarchy levels of TQM enablers and IT resource together for its successful implementation in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. A total of 17 TQM enablers (nine) and IT resources (eight) were identified and partitioned into 3 categories and were prioritised by AHP approach. The finding indicates that the 17 sub-criteria can be grouped into three main categories namely organizing, tools and techniques, and culture and people. Further, out of 17 sub-criteria, three sub-criteria: Top management commitment and support, total employee involvement, and continuous improvement got highest priority whereas three sub-criteria such as structural equation modelling, culture change, and customer satisfaction got lowest priority. The result suggests a hierarchy model for ICT industry to prioritise the enablers and resources as well as to improve the TQM and IT performance in the ICT industry. This paper has some managerial implication which suggests the managers of ICT industry to implement TQM and IT together in their organizations to get maximum benefits and how to utilize available resources. At the end, conclusions, limitation, future scope of the study are presented.

Keywords: analytic hierarchy process, information technology, information and communication technology, prioritization, total quality management

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Authors: Emanuela Zilli, Antonio Madia, Milvia Marchiori, Paola Anello, Chiara Cabbia, Emanuela Velo, Delia Campagnolo, Michele Scomazzon, Emanuela Salvatico, S. Tikvina, Antonio Miotti

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Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Antiviral medicines can cure more than 95% of cases of hepatitis C infection, but access to diagnosis and treatment remains low. The ULSS 6 Euganea – Health Trust has implemented a campaign to eradicate hepatitis C in the province of Padua (North-East of Italy), which can be subdivided into three areas: North (300.000 inhabitants), Centre (400.000) and South (300.000). In September 2021, the project was launched in the Northern area; a set of brochures was distributed in outpatient services, general practitioners’ clinics and offices, community pharmacy services, social health districts, and through social networks. The Hepatology Service contacted 460 patients selected by the Clinical Laboratory (positivity for HCV antibodies): 83 patients (18.0%) had been already cured of HCV infection, missing or deceased; 377 patients (82.0%) met the criteria to be eligible for HCV eradication therapy and were therefore included in a Day Service specific agenda and followed by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, with a dedicated telephone line. Haemato-chemical tests, general medical check-ups and ultrasound tests with fibroscan were performed. Patients were tested for Sars-CoV-2 positivity; those not yet vaccinated against Covid-19 were encouraged to complete the vaccination scheme. All 377 patients (100%) received HCV eradication therapy at the community pharmacy service; a detailed explanation of how to take their medication was provided. At the end of the first phase, Covid-19 vaccination rate was 100% (377/377), including patients already vaccinated and new-vaccinated. Check-up appointments were arranged after 2 or 3 months, according to the treatment plan. The awareness campaign and the organization of HCV eradication therapy service by ULSS 6 Euganea are proving to be effective; the project is now going to be applied to Central and Southern areas of the province (1.132 patients).

Keywords: public health, HCV-eradication, Covid-19 emergency, health communication strategies

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Authors: Eranga N. Somaratna, Pradeep Dharmadasa

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In the current competitive environment, the factors leading to organization success are not limited to the investment of capital, labor, and raw material, but in the ability of knowledge innovation from all the members of an organization. However, knowledge on its own cannot provide organizations with its promised benefits unless it is shared, as organizations are increasingly experiencing unsuccessful knowledge sharing efforts. In such a backdrop and due to the dearth of research in this area in the South Asian context, the study set forth to develop an understanding of the factors that influence knowledge-sharing behavior within an organizational framework, using widely accepted social psychology theories. The purpose of the article is to discover the determinants of knowledge-sharing intention and actual knowledge sharing behaviors of bank employees in Sri Lanka using an aggregate model. Knowledge sharing intentions are widely discussed in literature through the application of Ajzen’s Theory of planned behavior (TPB) and Theory of Social Capital (SCT) separately. Both the theories are rich to explain knowledge sharing intention of workers with limitations. The study, therefore, combines the TPB with SCT in developing its conceptual model. Data were collected through a self-administrated paper-based questionnaire of 199 bank managers from 6 public and private banks of Sri Lanka and analyzed the suggested research model using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The study supported six of the nine hypotheses, where Attitudes toward Knowledge Sharing Behavior, Perceived Behavioral Control, Trust, Anticipated Reciprocal Relationships and Actual Knowledge Sharing Behavior were supported while Organizational Climate, Sense of Self-Worth and Anticipated Extrinsic Rewards were not, in determining knowledge sharing intentions. Furthermore, the study investigated the effect of demographic factors of bankers (age, gender, position, education, and experiences) to the actual knowledge sharing behavior. However, findings should be confirmed using a larger sample, as well as through cross-sectional studies. The results highlight the need for theoreticians to combined TPB and SCT in understanding knowledge workers’ intentions and actual behavior; and for practitioners to focus on the perceptions and needs of the individual knowledge worker and the need to cultivate a culture of sharing knowledge in the organization for their mutual benefit.

Keywords: banks, employees behavior, knowledge management, knowledge sharing

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Authors: Destha Titi Raharjana

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The finding of this research results from three action researches conducted in three rurals, namely Bokoharjo, Sambirejo, and Tirtomartani. Those rurals are close to Prambanan, a well-known cultural heritage site located in Sleman Regency, Indonesia. This action research is conducted using participative method through observation, interview, and focus group discussion with local residents as the subjects. This research aims to (a) present identifications of potencies, obstacles, and opportunities existed in development process, which is able to give more encouragement, involvement and empowerment for local residents in maintaining the cultural heritage area, (b) present participatory empowerment programs which adjust the needs of local residents and human resources, and (c) identify potential stakeholders that can support empowerment programs. Through action research method, this research is able to present (a) potential mapping; difficulties and opportunities in the development process in each rural, (b) empowerment program planning needed by local residents as a follow-up of this action research. Moreover, this research also presents identifications of potential stakeholders who are able to do an empowerment program follow-up. It is expected that, at the end of the programs, the local residents are able to maintain Prambanan, as one of cultural heritage sites that needs to be protected, in a more sustainable way.

Keywords: action research, local resident, empowerment, cultural heritage area, Prambanan, Sleman, Indonesia

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Authors: Habibullah Pathan

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The present study aims to explore problems faced by English Language Teachers (ELT) while implementing the Outcome Based Education (OBE) model in engineering universities of Sindh. OBE is an emerging model initiative of the International Engineering Alliance. Traditional educational systems are teacher-centered or curriculum-centered, in which learners are not able to achieve desired outcomes, but the OBE model enables learners to know the outcomes before the start of the program. OBE is a circular process that begins from the needs and demands of society to stakeholders who ask the experts to produce the alumnus who can fulfill the needs and ends up getting new enrollment in the respective programs who can work according to the demands. In all engineering institutions, engineering courses besides English language courses are taught on the OBE model. English language teachers were interviewed to learn the in-depth of the problems faced by them. The study found that teachers were facing problems including pedagogical, OBE training, assessment, evaluation and administrative support. This study will be a guide for public and private English language teachers to cope with these challenges while teaching the English language on the OBE model. OBE is an emerging model by which the institutions can produce such a product that can meet the demands.

Keywords: problems of ELT teachers, outcome based education (OBE), implementing, assessment

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Authors: Moksha Singh

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The proponents of deinstitutionalization, including Goffman and others, in their works, have regarded institutions (orphanages to be specific) as regulated social arrangements that negatively impinge upon a resident’s development. They, therefore, propose alternative forms of care. However, even after five decades of this critique institutionalization remains the only hope for children with social, physical and mental disabilities in larger parts of the developing world such as the conflict affected state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. This paper is based on the experiences of children who lost their parents to insurgency and counter-insurgency operations and the rehabilitation process. This study is qualitative in nature and adopts descriptive-cum-exploratory research design. Using theoretical sampling, six orphanages and thirty one child residents who lost their parent(s) in the course of the armed conflict in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India were studied in the year 2009-2010. It included interviews, observation, life histories and introspective accounts of the orphans and the management. The results were drawn through the qualitative examination, understanding, and interpretation of the primary and secondary data. The findings suggested that rehabilitation of these conflict-affected children is taking place mainly through residential child care facilities run by non-governmental bodies. Alternative forms of rehabilitation are not functional in the state because of various geopolitical and socio-cultural complexities. Even after five years of arriving at these conclusions and more, the state of Jammu and Kashmir still lacks a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for these children. This has further encouraged a mushroomed growth of legal and illegal institutions. Some of these institutions compromise the standard norms of functioning and yet remain the only hope for thousands rendered orphan. These institutions, therefore, are there to stay as other alternative forms of care are not available in the state. A comprehensive intervention policy is needed based on the cultural specifics of the state and incorporation of views of institutions offering aid, the state and the children. The paper introduces Small Group Residential Care Model through which it is expected that the restoration process can be made smooth and effective.

Keywords: armed conflict, children's rights, institutionalization, orphanages, rehabilitation

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Authors: Wei Zhang, Yan He, Yan Wang, Yufeng Li, Chuanpeng Hao

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Surface roughness is an important index for evaluating surface quality, needs to be accurately measured to ensure the performance of the workpiece. The roughness measurement based on machine vision involves various image features, some of which are redundant. These redundant features affect the accuracy and speed of the visual approach. Previous research used correlation analysis methods to select the appropriate features. However, this feature analysis is independent and cannot fully utilize the information of data. Besides, blindly reducing features lose a lot of useful information, resulting in unreliable results. Therefore, the focus of this paper is on providing a redundant feature removal approach for visual roughness measurement. In this paper, the statistical methods and gray-level co-occurrence matrix(GLCM) are employed to extract the texture features of machined images effectively. Then, the principal component analysis(PCA) is used to fuse all extracted features into a new one, which reduces the feature dimension and maintains the integrity of the original information. Finally, the relationship between new features and roughness is established by the support vector machine(SVM). The experimental results show that the approach can effectively solve multi-feature information redundancy of machined surface images and provides a new idea for the visual evaluation of surface roughness.

Keywords: feature analysis, machine vision, PCA, surface roughness, SVM

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Authors: Tianyu Chen

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The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 was a major federal education policy that aimed to improve academic outcomes for all students in the United States. This study examines whether NCLB improved college readiness, measured by access to higher education, for different demographic groups. Using data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) from 2003-2008, regression analyses explore the relationship between gender, race, family income, and region with occupational education score. The results indicate that NCLB implementation had a positive effect on college access for women and Asian students compared to other groups. Higher family income was also associated with an increased likelihood of pursuing higher education, especially for families in the South. While NCLB intended to close achievement gaps, disparities in college readiness remained five years after implementation. Further research could examine longer-term trends and additional factors influencing the policy's effectiveness across student subgroups. This study provides evidence that simply holding schools accountable for test scores may not sufficiently improve equitable educational outcomes. More targeted support of disadvantaged groups may be needed to fulfill the goal of "no child left behind."

Keywords: no child left behind act, college readiness, achievement gaps, educational equity

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Authors: Silvia Miele, Patrice Rusconi, Harriet Tenenbaum

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An increasingly multi-ethnic Europe has been pushing citizens’ boundaries on who should be entitled and to what extent to practise their own diversity. Indeed, according to a Standard Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2017, immigration is seen by Europeans as the most serious issue facing the EU, and a third of respondents reported they do not feel comfortable interacting with migrants from outside the EU. Many of these come from Muslim countries, accounting for 4.9% of Europe population in 2016. However, the figure is projected to rise up to 14% by 2050. Additionally, political debates have increasingly focused on Muslim immigrants, who are frequently portrayed as difficult to integrate, while nationalist parties across Europe have fostered the idea of insuperable cultural differences, creating an atmosphere of hostility. Using a 3 X 3 X 2 between-subjects design, it was investigated how people reason about endorsing religious and non-religious rights to minorities. An online survey has been administered to university students of three different countries (Italy, Spain and the UK) via Qualtrics, presenting hypothetical scenarios through a vignette methodology. Each respondent has been randomly allocated to one of the three following conditions: Christian, Muslim or non-religious (vegan) target. Each condition entailed three questions about children self-determination rights to exercise some control over their own lives and 3 questions about children nurturance rights of care and protection. Moreover, participants have been required to further elaborate on their answers via free-text entries and have been asked about their contact and quality of contact with the three targets, and to self-report religious, national and ethnic identification. Answers have been recorded on a Likert scale of 1-5, 1 being "not at all", 5 being "very much". A two-way ANCOVA will be used to analyse answers to closed-ended questions, while free-text answers will be coded and data will be dichotomised based on Social Cognitive Domain Theory for four categories: moral, social conventional and psychological reasons, and analysed via ANCOVAs. This study’s findings aim to contribute to the implementation of educational interventions and speak to the introduction of governmental policies on human rights.

Keywords: children's rights, Europe, migration, minority

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Authors: Stephani Ferreira da Silva Manso, Regina M. M. Dias Chiquetano

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This article aims to present a research on one of the main aspects of response in humanitarian causes: agility of operations. Brazil is among the 10 countries with the highest number of people affected by disasters.The main types of disasters in Brazil include floods and mass movements. Focusing on a nongovernmental organization that began in the conflicts of First and Second World Wars, arriving in Brazil in 1984. In 2017, the organization has activated their emergency response mobile unit to reach families following flooding that affected around 9,000 people. In partnership with Truckvan, the mobile unit, has 45 m² of floor space and is divided into three compartments each designed to meet the main needs of the population: the first will be used to prepare hot meals, the second to washing and drying of clothes, and the third for the accomplishment of psychological support. This option will be available for situations where there are more than one thousand victims who are sheltered, even temporarily, and demand immediate care, which will be identified through the National Emergency Plan. In this way, the actions that were already done as donation of blankets, clothes, hygiene kits, among others, will be enhanced. Studies show that one of the biggest difficulties in responding to the disaster is in the first few hours after the disaster. This study aimed to show the organization's innovative results and to propose improvement actions in transportation focused on humanitarian aid as the concepts developed in the manufacture and adaptation of the mobile unit to the rescue environment. Thus, the principles of this humanitarian aid bus are very effective.

Keywords: disasters, humanitarian cause, relief, unit mobile

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Authors: Jong-Hyo Park, Eunyoung Choi, Jae-Yeon Lim, Seon-Suk Lee, Yeong-Rong Koo, Ji-Ung Kwon, Kyung-Sung Kim, Jong-Ik Lee, Juhan Park, Hyun-Kyu Lee, Won-Kyoung Oh, Jisang Lee, Jiwon Choe

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Due to COVID-19, cyber violence among youths has soared as they spend more time online than before. In contrast to the deepening concerns, measurement tools that can assess the vulnerability of cyber violence in individual youths still need to be supplemented. The measurement tools lack consideration of various factors related to cyber violence among youths. Most of the tools are self-report questionnaires, and these adolescents' self-report questionnaire forms can underestimate the harmful behavior and overestimate the damage experience. Therefore, this study aims to develop a multi-report measurement tool for youths that can reliably measure individuals' ecological factors related to cyber violence. The literature review explored factors related to cyber violence, and the questions were constructed. The face validity of the questions was confirmed by conducting focus group interviews. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (N=671) were also conducted for statistical validation. This study developed a multi-report measurement tool for cyber violence with 161 questions, consisting of six domains: online behavior, cyber violence awareness, victimization-perpetration-witness experience, coping efficacy (individuals, peers, teachers, and parents), psychological characteristics, and pro-social capabilities. In addition to self-report from a youth respondent, this measurement tool includes peers, teachers, and parents reporting for the respondent. It is possible to reliably measure the ecological factors of individual youths who are vulnerable or highly resistant to cyber violence. In schools, teachers could refer to the measurement results for guiding students, better understanding their cyber violence conditions, and assessing their pro-social capabilities. With the measurement results, teachers and police officers could detect perpetrators or victims and intervene immediately. In addition, this measurement tool could analyze the effects of the prevention and intervention programs for cyber violence and draw appropriate suggestions.

Keywords: adolescents, cyber violence, cyber violence measurement tool, measurement tool, multi-report measurement tool, youths

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Authors: Benny Benyamin Nasution, Rahmat Widia Sembiring, Abdul Rahman Dalimunthe, Nursiah Mustari, Nisfan Bahri, Berta br Ginting, Riadil Akhir Lubis, Rita Tavip Megawati, Indri Dithisari

Abstract:

The earth coordinate system is an important part of an attempt for earthquake forecasting, such as the one using Single Layer Hierarchical Graph Neuron (SLHGN). However, there are a number of problems that need to be worked out before the coordinate system can be utilized for the forecaster. One example of those is that SLHGN requires that the focused area of an earthquake must be constructed in a grid-like form. In fact, within the current earth coordinate system, the same longitude-difference would produce different distances. This can be observed at the distance on the Equator compared to distance at both poles. To deal with such a problem, a coordinate system has been developed, so that it can be used to support the ongoing earthquake forecasting using SLHGN. Two important issues have been developed in this system: 1) each location is not represented through two-value (longitude and latitude), but only a single value, 2) the conversion of the earth coordinate system to the x-y cartesian system requires no angular formulas, which is therefore fast. The accuracy and the performance have not been measured yet, since earthquake data is difficult to obtain. However, the characteristics of the SLHGN results show a very promising answer.

Keywords: hierarchical graph neuron, multidimensional hierarchical graph neuron, single layer hierarchical graph neuron, natural disaster forecasting, earthquake forecasting, earth coordinate system

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Authors: Vasiliki Vlachou, Christos Kontzinos, Ourania Markaki, Panagiotis Kokkinakos, Vagelis Karakolis, John Psarras

Abstract:

Higher Education is resisting the pull of technology, especially as this concerns the issuance and verification of degrees and certificates. It is widely known that education certificates are largely produced in paper form making them vulnerable to damage while holders of such certificates are dependent on the universities and other issuing organisations. QualiChain is an EU Horizon 2020 (H2020) research project aiming to transform and revolutionise the domain of public education and its ties with the job market by leveraging blockchain, analytics and decision support to develop a platform for the verification and sharing of education certificates. Blockchain plays an integral part in the QualiChain solution in providing a trustworthy environment to store, share and manage such accreditations. Under the context of this paper, three prominent blockchain platforms (Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric, Hyperledger Iroha) were considered as a means of experimentation for creating a system with the basic functionalities that will be needed for trustworthy degree verification. The methodology and respective system developed and presented in this paper used Hyperledger Iroha and proved that this specific platform can be used to easily develop decentralize applications. Future papers will attempt to further experiment with other blockchain platforms and assess which has the best potential.

Keywords: blockchain, degree verification, higher education certificates, Hyperledger Iroha

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Authors: Sarah Werner, Michael J. Pritchard

Abstract:

From pilots to engineers, the skills development within the aerospace industry is exceptionally broad. Employers often struggle with finding the right mixture of qualified skills to fill their organizational demands. This effort to find qualified talent is further complicated by the industrial delineation between two key areas: aviation and aerospace. In a broad sense, the aerospace industry overlaps with the aviation industry. In turn, the aviation industry is a smaller sector segment within the context of the broader definition of the aerospace industry. Furthermore, it could be conceptually argued that -in practice- there is little distinction between these two sectors (i.e., aviation and aerospace). However, through our unstructured text analysis of over 6,000 job listings captured, our team found a clear delineation between aviation-related jobs and aerospace-related jobs. Using techniques in natural language processing, our research identifies an integrated workforce skill pattern that clearly breaks between these two sectors. While the aviation sector has largely maintained its need for pilots, mechanics, and associated support personnel, the staffing needs of the aerospace industry are being progressively driven by integrative engineering needs. Increasingly, this is leading many aerospace-based organizations towards the acquisition of 'system level' staffing requirements. This research helps to better align higher educational institutions with the current industrial staffing complexities within the broader aerospace sector.

Keywords: aerospace industry, job demand, text mining, workforce development

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Authors: Amna Khaliq

Abstract:

This research project centers on Canadian business leaders’ phenomenological online education expansion by navigating the challenges faced by strategic leaders concerning the expansion of online education in the Canadian higher education sector from a business perspective. The study identifies the problems and opportunities of faculty members’ transition from traditional face-to-face to online instruction, particularly in the context of technology-enhanced learning (TEL), and their influence on the growth strategies of Canadian educational institutions. It explores strategic leaders’ approaches and the impact of emerging technologies to assist with developing and executing business strategies to expand online education in Canada. As online education has gained prominence in the country, this research addresses a relevant business problem for educational institutions. The research employs a phenomenological approach in the qualitative research design to conduct this investigation. The study interviews eighteen faculty members engaged in online education in Canada. The interview data is analyzed to answer the three research questions for strategic leaders to expand online education with higher education institutions in Canada. The recommendations include 1) data privacy, infrastructure, security, and technology, 2) support and training for student engagement, 3) accessibility and inclusion, and 4) collaboration among institutions associated with expanding online education.

Keywords: strategic leadership, Canada, education, technology

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Authors: Soumya Mishra, Elena Neiterman

Abstract:

Aligned with the growing interest in the impact of the pandemic on academic experiences of university students, this study aimed to examine the challenges Canadian undergraduate students experienced during the university closures due to COVID-19. Using qualitative methodological approach, the study utilized semi-structured interviews conducted with 20 undergraduate students enrolled in an Ontario university to explore their thoughts and experience regarding online learning during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, from January 2021 to March 2021. The interviews yielded four major themes with the following associated subthemes: Personal Challenges Associated with Adapting to the Pandemic (Change in the Type of Stress Experienced, Unique Impact on Certain Groups of Students, Decreased Motivation, Crucial Role of Resilience), Social Challenges Associated with Adapting to the Pandemic (Increased Loneliness, Challenges Faced while Communicating, Perception of Group work, Role of Living Conditions), Challenges associated with Accessing University Resources (Crucial Role of Professors, Perception of Virtual Events, Importance of Physical Spaces). Overall, the analysis showed that the COVID-19 pandemic fostered resilience and psychological flexibility amongst all students. However, the mental health and social wellbeing of students deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic and they reported experiencing chronic stress, anxiety and loneliness. International students, first year and final year students experienced a unique set of challenges. It was hard for participants in our study to make strong new connections with their classmates and maintain existing friendships with their peers. The importance of professors in facilitating learning was amplified in the online environment due to the lack of in-person interaction with other students. Despite these challenges, most participants reported that they received high grades during online learning. The findings from this study could be helpful for organizations and individuals working towards fostering the wellbeing of undergraduate students. They can also help in making post-secondary institutions more resilient to future emergencies by creating contingency plans regarding online instructions and risk management techniques.

Keywords: Canadian, COVID-19, university students, wellbeing

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Authors: Nima Dastanboo, Xiao-Qing Li, Hamed Gharibdoost

Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to investigate about the geological properties ahead of a tunnel face with using Electrical Resistivity Tomography ERT and Tunnel Seismic Prediction TSP303 methods. In deep tunnels with hydro-geological conditions, it is important to study the geological structures of the region before excavating tunnels. Otherwise, it would lead to unexpected accidents that impose serious damage to the project. For constructing Nosoud tunnel in west of Iran, the ERT and TSP303 methods are employed to predict the geological conditions dynamically during the excavation. In this paper, based on the engineering background of Nosoud tunnel, the important results of applying these methods are discussed. This work demonstrates seismic method and electrical tomography as two geophysical techniques that are able to detect a tunnel. The results of these two methods were being in agreement with each other but the results of TSP303 are more accurate and quality. In this case, the TSP 303 method was a useful tool for predicting unstable geological structures ahead of the tunnel face during excavation. Thus, using another geophysical method together with TSP303 could be helpful as a decision support in excavating, especially in complicated geological conditions.

Keywords: tunnel seismic prediction (TSP303), electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), seismic wave, velocity analysis, low-velocity zones

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Authors: Xue Bai, Ranran He, Chang Liu

Abstract:

Care planning before the onset of intensive care needs can benefit older adults’ psychological well-being and increases families’ ability to manage caregiving crises and cope with care transitions. Effective care planning requires collaborative ‘team-work’ in families. However, future care planning has not been substantially examined in intergenerational or family contexts, let alone among immigrant families who have to face particular challenges in parental caregiving. From a family systems perspective, this study intends to explore the extent, processes, and contents of intergenerational care planning of Mainland immigrant ageing families in Hong Kong and to examine the intergenerational congruence and discrepancies in the care planning process. Adopting a qualitative research design, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 adult child-older parent pairs and another 33 adult children. In total, 50 adult children who migrated to Hong Kong after the age of 18 with more than three years’ work experience in Hong Kong had at least one parent aged over 55 years old who was not a Hong Kong resident and considered his/herself as the primary caregiver of the parent were recruited. Seventeen ageing parents of the recruited adult children were invited for dyadic interviews. Scarcity of caregiving resources in the context of cross-border migration, intergenerational discrepancies in care planning stages, both generations’ struggle and ambivalence toward filial care, intergenerational transmission of care values, and facilitating role of accumulated family capital in care preparation were primary themes concluded from participants’ narratives. Compared with ageing parents, immigrant adult children generally displayed lower levels of care planning. Although with a strong awareness of parents’ future care needs, few adult children were found engaged in concrete planning activities. This is largely due to their uncertainties toward future life and career, huge work and living pressure, the relatively good health status of their parents, and restrictions of public welfare policies in the receiving society. By contrast, children’s cross-border migration encouraged ageing parents to have early and clear preparation for future care. Ageing parents mostly expressed low filial care expectations when realizing the scarcity of family caregiving resources in the cross-border context. Even though they prefer in-person support from children, most of them prepare themselves for independent ageing to prioritize the next generation’s needs or choose to utilize paid services, welfare systems, friend networks, or extended family networks in their sending society. Adult children were frequently found caught in the dilemma of desiring to provide high quality and in-person support for their parents but lacking sufficient resources. Notably, a salient pattern of intergenerational transmission in terms of family and care values and ideal care arrangement emerged from intergenerational care preparation. Moreover, the positive role of accumulated family capital generated by a reunion in care preparation and joint decision-making were also identified. The findings of the current study will enhance professionals’ and service providers’ awareness of intergenerational care planning in cross-border migration contexts, inform services to alleviate unpreparedness for elderly care and intergenerational discrepancies concerning care arrangements and broaden family services to encompass intergenerational care planning interventions. Acknowledgment: This study is supported by a General Research Grant from the Research Grants Council of the HKSAR, China (Project Number: 15603818).

Keywords: intergenerational care planning, mainland immigrants in Hong Kong, migrant family, older adults

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Authors: M. Saifudin Ahmed Atique, Santosh Paudyal, Caixia Yang

Abstract:

In an aircraft, a great portion of energy is wasted due to its inflight structural vibration. Structural components vibrate due to aeroelastic instabilities, gust perturbations and engine rotation at very high rpm. Energy losses due to mechanical vibration can be utilized by harvesting energy from aircraft structure as electrical energy. This harvested energy can be stored in battery panels built into aircraft fuselage and can be used to power inflight auxiliary accessories i.e., lighting and entertainment systems. Moreover, this power can be used for wireless Structural Health Monitoring System (SHM) for aircraft and as an excellent replacement of aircraft Ground Power Unit (GPU)/Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) during passenger onboard time to power aircraft cabin accessories to reduce aircraft ground operation cost significantly. In this paper, we propose the design of a noble aircraft wing in which Piezoelectric panels placed under the composite skin of aircraft wing will generate electrical charges from any inflight aerodynamics or mechanical vibration and store it into battery to power auxiliary inflight systems/accessories as per requirement. Experimental results show that a well-engineered piezoelectric energy harvester based aircraft wing can produce adequate energy to support in-flight lighting and auxiliary cabin accessories.

Keywords: vibration energy, aircraft wing, piezoelectric material, inflight accessories

Procedia PDF Downloads 159